Google Chrome OS update hits developers

You may have heard a lot about it, but when it comes to actual physical products, Google's fully functional computer operating system hasn't exactly made its splash yet. That doesn't mean the search giant doesn't still have wide-eyed passion and seismic-sized plans for Chrome OS, though. In fact, in some respects, Google is just getting started. It just rolled out its newest edition of the operating system for developers.

This is the first significant redesign since the conceptual OS was first introduced in 2010. The new version is really what puts the "OS" in Chrome OS. Previously, the platform allowed for very minimal user functionality, such as the ability to only have one browser window open at a time, and a confusing app-launching process that required users to open up new tabs for every app.

In the new version, though, there is a window manager called Aura that makes everything look a lot more like a Windows-esque software package. Users can now open up apps from a dedicated app launcher, manage their opened apps via a task bar, and of course the ability to have multiple browser windows open at the same time. In short, Chrome OS just graduated into the real world, where it might legitimately be able to play in the notebook or netbook world. Let's see if hardware manufacturers are in for the game.